Yes, Brooks knows Gafford should be playing more minutes originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Daniel Gafford was one of the best players on the floor for the Wizards Wednesday night, but he wasn't on the floor very long.
Entering the fourth quarter of a 135-134 loss to the Bucks, Gafford only had seven minutes of playing time. Once he came in for crunch time, he nearly led the Wizards to an improbable win on the road against one of the best teams in the league.
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In a total of 14 minutes, Gafford scored 12 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and was a plus-12 in a one-point game. In hindsight, he should've played more. When head coach Scott Brooks was asked whether Gafford deserves more time, his answer was short and to the point.
"Yeah," he said after the game.
Despite an ankle injury that cost him six games, Gafford has quickly become the Wizards' most impactful center. And it's not like Alex Len or Robin Lopez have been playing poorly. Gafford, who was acquired for Moe Wagner and Troy Brown Jr. at the trade deadline, has simply been that much better.
The Wizards are five points per 100 possessions better when Gafford is on the floor compared to +0.9 with Lopez and -3.0 with Len. It's probably no coincidence the Wizards are 13-3 since trading for Gafford.
Washington is at its best with Gafford playing the five and Brooks seems to know it. The Wizards have had a three-man center rotation for most of the year and it'll be interesting to see if Brooks alters that approach as the postseason rapidly approaches.
